The Tunisian election commission announced on Monday that candidates for the October 6 presidential election can now submit their applications, with the submission period set to close on August 6.
Candidates must provide a list of their endorsers, both in paper and electronic formats, including detailed information about each endorser. For candidates representing political parties, the legal representative of the party must sign the candidacy forms.
The electoral authority emphasized that these stringent requirements are designed to uphold the integrity and transparency of the electoral process. Recent weeks have seen prominent opposition figures withdrawing support or being arrested, heightening political tensions.
President Kais Saied, who assumed power in 2021 after dissolving the parliament—a move that drew significant criticism— is widely expected to seek reelection. Saied’s administration has since implemented a new constitution that curtails the parliament’s oversight role, granting the President expanded powers. Saied has defended his actions as necessary to combat corruption.